Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-12-28
WHAT WAS | BEGUN FOR?
A QUESTION THE READING STRIKE
NIGHT ASK THE KNIGHTS.

Its Sudden Termination Accounted for Ac-
cording to Who You Inquire OLA Black
List of Leading knights Posted-Knight
Barry Threatened with the Bastiis on
an Old Judgment.
PHILADELPHIA, Dec 2-The Reading
railroad strike, iSaugurated on Saturday
last, has been three days wonder. 1t col
lapse Tuesday morning, and the laconic mes
sage of General Manager Mcleod is, ''The
road Is In full operation"
How this sudden collapse was brought
about Is point not yet definitely known
II the railway officials tell the truth it is sim
ply collapse with the men badly beaten,
going back to work on the company's terms
II the strikers committee get it right the
company has agreed to arbitrate the question
at issue, and the men return to work in the
meantime. There were hundreds of nom
union men waiting Tuesday morning In the
hope that they would get work, but most OF
them were disappointed, Among them were
many engineers of the Brotherhood, who lost
their situations in the strike Of 1877, and
have been engaged in other business since
One of the strikers committee said that
arbitration had been agreed to at a confer
ence between the committee and Superin-
tsndent Sweigard at his office Monday night;
but Mr.. Sweigard gives full and emphatic
contradiction to this He said he had not
agreed to arbitrate; that he held out no in
ducements to the committee and refused to
listen to any propositions involving the rein
statement OF the men discharged for refusing
to de liver cars to Taylor's elevator because
he employs non-union men. This is the
point that the strikers fought the brief fight
upon. General Manager Mcleod also said
no arbitration was thought of; there was
nothing to arbitrate; the men must return to
work at once and Internationally, or lose
their situations
The decision TO resume work was dissem-
mated by messengers and telegraph to all
points at an early hour in the morning. and
train hands were reasonably prompt in re-
porting for 1uty, so that the machinery of
the company is again in motion, and the &C
cummulation of freight is rapidly being dis
posed Of Superintendent Swigard says that
all the men who were discharged at Port
Richmond last Friday will not again be
employed
There was however, a lack Of spontaneity
in the return to work of the Reading rail-
road company's employees at the wharves of
| Port Richmond. This was not due to an I'M
willingness on the part of the men, as SUBJ
sequsntly developed, but to delay in the cir
culation of the general order to return,
coupled with the fact that the disaffected
were rather late in putting in appearance at
their usual points of rendezvous However,
sufficient men responded at an early hour to
handle what little coal there was on the
tracks, and more, too, for many had to be
put to work at odd jobs until some
Of the side tracked fuel came down tbs
road. 1t will take three or four day.
to open the present blockade, as all the side
tracks between the anthracite regions anC
Philadelphia are crowded with cars Or
sidings between this city and Port Clinton
there are l. 900 cars representing 20, 900 tom
of coal, waiting to be moved Below thi
city all sidings are occupied by loaded ant
empty trains At the Reading freight sta
ton there has been a large accumulation o
business, partly due to the strike and partl,
to the several days suspension over Christ
mas, but the handlers were busily engaged ii
loading and unloading cars The following
circular was issued Tuesday afternoon from
the Reading railroad general offices, ad
dressed to General Manager Mcleod. an
will be distributed throughout the company
system:
DEAR SIR: The strike ordered from Port Rich
mond has developed the fact that many of our oil,
and faithful employees have been compelled b
others to join the ORGANIZATION known as tn
Knights OF Labor While the Reading Railroa
company has never objected TO its employees 70
unfairly connecting themselves with any lsbo
organization they may see fit to join, 1t will prt
tsct them at all hazards and at any cost, from b.
Ing forced into any union where their own wis
would be to remain free, and any en-
ploye of this company, or of the Goa
and Iron company, guilty of usin
any undue or improper influence upon any OF on
men to force them TO join any society against the
free will, will upon proof furnished us, be il
stantly dismissed from our service, and never a
lowed TO return to 1t; and any employe furnishiu
such Information will be fully protected from an
harm by reason thereof Please give this motto
u the general superintendent, with orders that
be repeated to the heads OF every depar tInsnt
the railroad and Coal aud Iron company
This is signed by Austin Corbin, presiden
and G. Deb. Keim, S. A Caldwell, and Aui
tin Corbin, receivers
The circular also contained an order fror
Mr.. ID Deod to Superintendent Sweigard {
furnish all heads of departments with til
notice and SEQ that it is fully carried out